CHAPTER FIVE
Mulan sat stiff and uncomfortable as she was carried
through the hills. She didn't see why they couldn't take horses, why all
this pageantry was insisted upon. Her back ached from sitting up so straight,
holding her head high when she wanted to close the curtains and hide in
the corner. Yet Li Shang had been there, back at the Imperial City, wading
through the crowd to look at her. And such a look, it had never left her.
It was night now, the greenery of the hills veiled
in near black. They had only stopped to rest twice, to change the guard
after departing the Imperial City and again when the entered the land of
Liu. No one would take the Emperor's wish to hurry too lightly.
The clatter of hooves caught her attention outside,
echoing from the road ahead. She had seen no passerby so far and would
welcome any distraction to allay her boredom and worry. The horses appeared
over the dip in the road, riding down the hill towards her. Two horses,
two masked riders in dark cloaks and ten on foot, her heart swelled with
fear. What if Li Shitan had lied? What if she was to be sold for some other
purpose?
Her litter stopped as the masked party came to a
halt, surrounding her and her guard in a half circle, aimed cross bows
laid in their arms - aimed at her guards, not at her. "In the name of the
gods," the leader cried out, brandishing a sword. He was a large man with
a carrying voice. "Restore the Lady Fa Mulan."
Gently, she was lowered to the ground, her bodyguard
flashing their own weapons. "Away, villains, in the name of His Majesty."
Her captain thrust a sword at them. "Is it worth being hanged at His Majesty's
command to rob a bride for her gold?" Soft laughter spread among her men.
Without a word, the masked speaker spurred his horse
forward, driving his blade into the Captain's breast. He slumped to the
ground with a cry as two of his companions lunged forward, only to meet
the same end by a deft slashing of the ruffian's sword. Mulan shook with
fear as she shrunk against the back of the palanquin. These were not mere
bandits, not with that grace and skill, these were trained warriors. She
had fallen in the middle of trap.
A small bit of courage caught up with her and she
peaked her head out of the litter at last, four guards standing and a fifth
writhing in the dirt with a bolt in his middle. "Stop!" she cried out,
to her surprise the masked soldier froze, giving her his complete attention.
"What is it you want?"
"Fear not, Lady, no harm is meant to... "
Two more of her guards jumped at him with their
swords, one shot down quickly, the other clawed away by the rider's weapon,
cleaved in two. She felt ill at the sight, thankful the darkness shielded
the detail. Seeing there was no chance, the remaining two guards fell to
the knees, plunging their blades into their hearts as they brushed their
foreheads to the earth. They would rather die than live with this failure.
The rider dismounted, kneeling over the bodies,
rummaging through their clothes and pulling something from the pocket of
one that seemed to startle him, a seal she thought. "We can't have any
witnesses," he sighed, she felt a small bit of comfort that he did not
relish the scene.
"If you came to kidnap me, you may as well kill
me now!" She may have sounded noble, but she certainly did not feel that
way. She felt small and afraid.
"Be quiet," the leader commanded her, not harshly,
but not gently either. Then he turned to his men. "Come, carry her. We
have little time, Liu Shitan is waiting."
Eight men removed their shrouds, revealing Palace
uniforms.
She was lifted again on eight shoulders, while the
two riders rode a good pace up ahead. Mulan swallowed hard, praying silently.
***
Tearing off his mask, Li Shang surveyed the road
ahead of him, the Palace already in sight. No one here knew his face anyway.
Tianxi followed his example and even flung his cloak back over his shoulders.
The other man had done a fine job dispatching the guards, while he lingered
there quietly in the dark, lest Mulan recognize him. It was a good thing
six more soldiers were not hard to come by.
Red streamers topped the Palace, celebrating a bride.
They were received at once at the Palace gates, Mulan helped out of her
bridal chair while Shang stood far enough away where he could turn and
hide his face from her. She looked very afraid.
Tianxi was beside him, speaking softly. "Looks like
your magnolia has withered a bit." Shang would take mess duty for a year
if that man wasn't worry in his voice.
The general gave him a wry look. "I'm sure she's
only faint for your dashing heroics."
The guard inside the Palace spoke. "His Lordship
wishes the Lady Fa Mulan arrayed and brought to her chambers tonight, he
will visit her there, to become acquainted with her before the ceremony
tomorrow. Escort her there at once, if it pleases you."
Of course, with Chi fu's seal found on the murdered
guards, Shitan would expect Mulan's entourage to be men loyal to Chi fu,
and accomplices in his vile plan. Of course he would plan to murder her
tonight before the ceremony tomorrow. Shang clenched his fists, but then
again this arrangement made his plan all the more workable.
The strands of beads from her headdress were pushed
forward over Mulan's face and covered with a red veil, obscuring her view.
Two of Tianxi's men took her by the arm, guiding her gently.
Servants led them down the many halls and up several
flights of curving stairs. Six guards surrounded Mulan while Yao and Ling
kept a distance, only not so great as the one Shang and Tianxi maintained
in the lead. A female servant was waiting outside a large pair of lacquered
doors, an older woman with arms folded over her ample form. By the motherly
smile she flashed at Mulan and the impatient glances for the soldiers,
Shang immediately dismissed her as being no conspirator, just a high ranking
servant of Liu Shitan's house.
"Oh, my dear," the woman chattered briskly, taking
Mulan by the arm and ushering her inside. "Your make-up is spoiled, and
your dress is wrinkled. Don't worry I've left several others for you to
choose from just in case, though I had no idea you were such a little thing.
All the rumors said you were as big as man." She shook her head, opening
another small door in Mulan's chamber where a dressing table and mirror
had been laid out with cosmetics and jewelry, three of course red gowns
hanging beside it.
Tianxi folded his arms, looking askance at Shang.
Shang nodded. "Leave us now," Tianxi ordered flatly. "The bride can ready
herself, we have a few words from the Emperor to relay to her still in
private. A personal message from His Majesty."
Having no choice, the woman curtsied and departed,
seeming confused.
Leaning closer, Shang spoke for Tianxi alone. "Get
her out of here, and the rest of you go too."
With a brief salute, Tianxi seized Mulan from her
guides. "Come with, my lady, there are certain things unsuited for bride's
eyes. I trust you have the sense to cooperate." Shang shot him a warning
look, there was no need to frighten her, especially since she could not
longer see her kidnappers. The Colonel forced a faint smile, he was only
trying to make a joke.
Shang smiled back, over Mulan's head where her back
was turned. "Careful, man, she fights good."
At those familiar words Mulan froze in step, stiffening
visibly, but Tianxi led her away before she could speak.
Sitting at the dressing table, Shang picked up a
small pot of white face powder, knowing he had little time. Cringing, he
quickly spread the stuff over his face studying it's paling effect in the
mirror, adding more and more until it set into a flawless mask. He picked
up a small brush in a pot of black ink and, deciding it couldn't be more
difficult than writing a letter, painted it over his eyelashes, surprised
that it came out decently straight. There was mauve rouge, and a thick
red paint for his lips. He applied these quickly, with passable results.
Throwing off his cloak, he took one of the bridal
gowns from it's hanger, red silk and lavishly embroidered in gold. It was
too short of course, reaching only to his calf and revealing his pants
and boots beneath, but it would do. Untying his hair he combed it quickly,
parting it in the middle and wrapping it in a looser bun atop his head,
securing a large flower comb to the ribbon. Gazing at the imagine in the
mirror again, Shang pursed his red lips experimentally. He did not exactly
look like a man anymore, except for his height and build, but nothing like
a lady. The result was sort of in between, a perfect thing for taking the
place of a warrior woman. In all this primping, he gained a newfound respect
for "Ping."